


In A Week

by sheroars



Category: Broadchurch
Genre: Comfort fic, Conversation, Established Relationship-ish, F/M, Fluff-n-Stuff, Music, mental health
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-20
Updated: 2016-02-20
Packaged: 2018-05-22 00:17:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 777
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6063598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sheroars/pseuds/sheroars
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>And they'd find us in a week<br/>When the weather gets hot<br/>After the insects have made their claim<br/>I'd be home with you<br/>I'd be home with you</p>
            </blockquote>





	In A Week

It was an unseasonably warm Friday night and everyone was grumpy.  

Alec had been a bit short and quiet all day.  Fred had been fussy all evening and it had taken forever to get him to bed.  Tom and Daisy had long retreated to their respective rooms to splay about with fans.  Ellie breathed a sigh of relief as she slipped into her own darkened bedroom around midnight.  Despite the fact that the master was the converted attic of the house, with all the lights out and the windows opened it felt marginally cooler than the rest of the house.  Alec was down to his briefs on top of the covers, nearly dead center on the bed.  He seemed to have dozed off on his stomach, right hand extended towards the bedside table and the stereo, which was queued up with something soothing.  

 _Hozier._ She remembered the artist's name as she shucked work clothes in favor of a big tee shirt.  Alec got Daisy tickets for her birthday.  She got in bed and pressed her cheek to the space between Alec's shoulder blades.  He inhaled deeply, doze lifted.  

"Hmph,"  He acknowledged her presence.  She rolled her eyes.  He reached a hand back for hers.  

"Okay?"  He thumbed at her hand.  

"Dunno,"  

"You've been somewhere else today..."  She was grateful it came out more gently than intended.  She was just so tired.  The breeze from the window was a god-send.

"M'sorry," He slurred, "Dunno what's wrong with me."

"Nothing's wrong with you.  Unless..."

"Machine's fine Ellie."  He breathed deeply under her cheek and hand.  The pacemaker was a year old but problem free thus far.  

"Nothing's wrong with you."  She repeated.  

"There is.  M'useless."  

"Only recently,"  She risked teasing him.  He huffed out a laugh.  "It's ok.  Just miss you a bit sometimes."  He slipped out from underneath her to look at her.  She pouted at the loss of her comfortable position.  His skin was cooler than hers.  He propped himself up on elbows.  She mimicked the position beside him.  He looked as if he were trying to say something.  She left her forehead fall to his shoulder sleepily.  

"I'm struggling..." He admitted, picking at the duvet.  "...with anxiety.  It's...paralyzing sometimes."  

"I know."  Boy did she.  "It's okay."  

"I saw someone about it last week.  They think it's _an inordinate amount of_ work related stress playing a number on me." They smiled wryly as he imitated the drawl of rather upper crust sounding British man.    

"Do you need to slow down?"  

"A bit, yah.  Probably.  I don't want medication again."  

"We can do that."

"How do you do it?"  

"Not well."  

"I'd argue that."  

"There was a lot of boxed wine."  He smiled again.  "A lot of mental letting go.  A lot of letting myself depend on you disgustingly enough."  

"Oi!"  She shrugged and let an arm slide around his back as she dropped down onto a pillow and yawned.  

"It's okay Alec.  M'serious.  Everyone deals with it at least once.  Everyone finds their own way.  None of us are going anywhere.  Just tell me what you need." He nodded and pinched the bridge of his nose, hiding a sudden wave of emotion from her.  

"Kay,"  

"You're doing everything right so far." She continued. "Whenever it gets to be too much, I don't care where we are, just pull on my sleeve or something.  We'll find somewhere for you to step.  I can teach you some breathing things that ruddy lady in Broadchurch taught me."  He kissed her suddenly and deeply.  "I don't remember it going quite like that though..." They laughed lightly.  

"I want to sleep for a year."  He mumbled, finally going boneless next to her, fingers playing with hers.  

"I don't think I can quite manage that but we certainly don't have to budge for 48 hours."  

"Good."

"Mmmmm,"  She agreed.  "I finished that Jose Saramago novel this morning..."  

"Did you like it?"  

"Is was so sad.  I have to read the rest now."  She stretched languidly.  "If you feel up to it Sunday we should try brunch at that new place on the high street.  There's a farmers market too.  Susan says it's amazing."  

"Which one is she?"

"Red head.  Derek's mum."  

"Ah, yes.  Got it."  

"No you don't."  He shrugged.

"You realize there are more bloody football mums then football players on this new team you've let Tom in on."  

"Some of them are aunts and nannies..."  

"Christ, they're all bang on fifteen now."  

"I know."  She giggled.  He pressed a soft kiss to her cheek.  They laid there and listened to music till they fell asleep, his arm across her middle.     

**Author's Note:**

> Cheers to the weekend xoxo


End file.
